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Resident urges Montrose council to allow backyard chickens, cites neighborhood benefits
Summary
At the Sept. 9 Montrose City Council meeting, resident Ashford Hellcamp urged the council to permit backyard chickens, citing local examples and offering to help with inspections. Council members raised enforcement and public-support concerns and encouraged organizers to gather grassroots backing before Planning & Zoning review.
Ashford Hellcamp, a Montrose resident, asked the City Council on Sept. 9 to allow backyard chickens in the City of Montrose, saying household flocks can boost self-sufficiency, provide nutritious eggs and help control insects and mosquitoes.
"I grew up on a farm... chickens are a really approachable way for American households to feel more involved with their food," Hellcamp said, adding she has experience keeping chickens in urban settings and shared sample ordinances from Minneapolis and other cities.
Council members responded by describing two recurring barriers to changing the city code: lack of demonstrable public support at Planning & Zoning hearings and concerns about enforcement. One councilor noted that previous hearings produced little proponent attendance while opponents often turned out, making it difficult for Planning & Zoning to recommend a change.
Councilors and residents also discussed practical enforcement challenges, including whether city staff could conduct property inspections and how to address nuisance complaints. Hellcamp offered to volunteer to help inspect coops and suggested adopting neighborhood-notice or neighbor-approval provisions modeled on other municipalities' ordinances.
Council did not take a vote or initiate ordinance language at the meeting. Members advised organizers to gather signatures and bring supporters to future Planning & Zoning hearings before the council will move forward.
